changing British attitudes to the Boer War Flashcards
what were the reasons for an increase in the attention to the Boer Wars?
many families had members serving in the war
there was so much newspaper coverage
reporting of news became much quicker thanks to the telephone and telegraph
which battle caught the most public attention?
Spion Kop
how was the Battle of Spion Kop portrayed in the media?
photography
critical newspapers
photography
photographs of dead British soldiers on the hill were brought home and appeared in the newspapers
these were real action shots, unlike Fenton’s photos in Crimea
showed the shocking realities of the war
critical newspapers
most newspapers launched an attack on Buller and his strategy as well as the government for not accepting help from the colonies
how did the British change their approach after the failure of Black Week?
a recruitment drive for young men was launched throughout the Empire
deficiencies in mounted infantry were addressed with more horsemen recruited as cavalry
better intelligence and recon introduced —> Fredrick Burnham
over-reliance on the railways as a weakness was solved by using more armoured trains
what did the press label Buller?
Sir Reverse
how was the arrival of Roberts and Kitchener portrayed in the news?
was massively welcomed by the press
both portrayed already by the press as heroes of the British Empire with both having incredible success in colonial wars previously
which soon to be politician was famous for his first-hand journalism during the Boer War?
Winston Churchill
which newspaper did Churchill work for?
The Morning Post
what happened to Churchill during the Boer War?
he helped rescue an ambushed armoured train
he was captured by the Boers- the escaped
was one of the first Brits to enter Ladysmith and Pretoria
what happened to Churchill after the war?
he was elected as MP at Oldham in 1900
why was the 1900 election labelled as a Khaki election?
it was heavily influenced by war in SA
what were Churchill’s reports like?
they backed the war- he was a staunch imperialist
they were generally supportive of the BA but did outline certain deficiencies in the BA
what impact did Churchill’s reports have on the public?
they were very interesting reads which allowed readers to feel close to the action
similar to the work of William H Russell as Churchill was at the frontlines as a journalist
what had the successes at Mafeking and Kimberley prompted in Britain?
street parties and jubilation
mood became optimistic
shows how military victory had a massive impact on public opinion
how did the war have an impact on popular culture?
songs became more patriotic and pro-army
literature took a more imperialistic and pro-war approach
examples of Boer War songs?
Tararaboomdeeay
Goodbye Dolly Gray
what was the public opinion on the Boers?
there was a feeling of respect for the determined ‘farmers’ fighting the British
however after Black Week, opinions massively changed towards aggression
which newspapers took a strong pro-war stance?
The Daily Mail
The Daily Express
when was the Daily Mail founded?
1896
what views did the Daily Mail and Daily Express express? ;)
it was very imperialistic and ensure stories about the Empire took the front page
JINGOISTIC
what happened to the editor of the Daily Chronicle in 1899?
was sacked by the owner because he refused to take a more pro-war stance
as the war progressed how did newspaper content change?
became less supportive of the war
largely reflective of the British public
what questions did the newspapers ask about the war?
why were the sieges not lifted quick enough?
why could the BA not defeat the weaker Boers?
why were there shortages in supplies?
why were concentration camps being used?
how did the army command use the newspapers?
they wrote articles and letter-columns to answer any critics
when was the Stop the War Committee founded and by who?
Stead in 1899
what did the Stop the War Committee attack?
the use of concentration camps to ‘murder’ the Boer population by halving their food rations
they believed that by doing this, the British were trying to put pressure on Boer fighters to surrender
what impact did the Stop the War Committee have on public opinion?
there was a feeling of unease with regards to the use of concentration camps and many Britons felt empathy for Boer families
why was the press important in the 1900 Khaki election?
many newspapers were supportive of government policy and backed Salisbury in the election
what % of the vote did Salisbury win?
51%
when was there an anti-war rally in London led by women?
June 1900
attended by Emily Hobhouse
what did Hobhouse set up in September 1900?
South African Women and Children Distress Fund
when did Hobhouse leave for SA?
7 December 1900
who supported Hobhouse’s trip to SA?
Alfred Milner
the British High Commissioner in SA
he provided her with a railway wagon
what had Hobhouse found in a camp in Bloemfontein?
lack of food
insanitary conditions
overcrowding
lack of food
women and children who had men fighting against the British were refused any meat
no vegetables
no milk
children were extremely malnourished
insanitary conditions
no toilets
no clean water
diseases easily spread
which diseases were most prevalent in the camps?
measles
typhoid
diarrhoea
dysentry
did authorities listen to her pleas of help?
nope they ignored her
when did Hobhouse submit her report to the British government?
June 1901
which political group followed up on Hobhouse’s report?
the Liberals
when was the Fawcett Commission sent to SA?
August 1901
who led the all women Fawcett Commission?
Millicent Fawcett
a suffragist
what was the public reaction to the findings of the Fawcett Commission?
huge outrage at the conditions of the camps
Britons were shocked and demanded action
Britons believed that the Empire was a force for good so were angry at what was happening to the Boer families
what was the government reaction to the Fawcett Commission?
they took away responsibility of the camps and put into civillian administration
what did the death rate in the camps fall to by 1902?
2%
how did the Boer War split public opinion?
many questioned the morality of having an Empire, led to increased Liberal and Socialists support
these groups believed that British problems at home could be fixed with mass money spent on maintaining Britain’s vast empire
however many still believed in Empire and Britain’s superiority over the rest of the worldf
